


Displacement

by Melkur_Mistress



Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, F/M, I did mention fluff, Missy and the Master are quite affectionate, Missy and the Master go and find her, Missy feels displaced, Missy misses the Doctor, it's mutual, the Master loves the Doctor, this is big fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 14:54:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16410590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melkur_Mistress/pseuds/Melkur_Mistress
Summary: After the events of the colony ship, Missy feels lost and misses the Doctor. She hides out with her past self, who eventually realises he needs to help her, and so they go to find the Doctor shortly after she regenerates. They talk, she listens. Doctor / Master fluff.“I don’t know what I would do without him,” she whispered.He gave a sad smile and nodded, “He can’t leave us Missy, we will correct the problem if he does. Whatever it takes. I won't allow him to die if its not by our hand...and even then…”





	Displacement

**Author's Note:**

> Just some Doctor / Master fluff. I have this head canon where the Master survives death so often because other incarnations all help each other out like some giant paradox, so Missy goes and hides out from her feelings with another of her. I made the Master affectionate with each other but in a non sexual way. It is a pure fluff fest, and puts Missy back with 13.

Faking death was easy - quite the speciality of hers and she only needed to do it for long enough that the lift started its descent with her past self inside. The blast that shook the ground was the unexpected hitch though.

Two hours later she had woken to a charred, burnt world, and a silence that left a deep sorrow in her hearts. The Cybermen had moved on - finding no one left alive. Whether that meant he had actually died, or found a way out, she wasn’t sure. 

She rolled over, wincing in pain as she realised she had gained a few injuries from the explosion - but as she stood carefully, she was relieved to find nothing too major. Cracked ribs, a burning sensation in her back, and a few scattered cuts and bruises. Being shot by a laser screwdriver and then getting caught in an explosion could both have left her far worse off, or even dead. She was grateful that she had adopted a corset - the shielding she had built into it left her with a barrier that was hard to penetrate.

She had to check - she just couldn’t leave until she had looked for him. If he was lying on the floor dying then she would be with him, hold his hand, use her regeneration energy if he was too far gone to regenerate by himself. She would do anything to keep him with her.

She searched until it became dark, and the forest too dense to find her way through. She had tried, and that was all she could do. She undid the buttons on her jacket and then loosened her tie and unbuttoned enough buttons on her blouse to reach the top of her corset - it was awkward and time consuming, but she wasn’t about to remove her corset and sit there in the woods with just her skirt and boots on. Even if no one was left alive, it was just not dignified for a Time Lady.

It had taken her half a day to conceal the bracelet in the lining of her corset, but she hadn’t imagined she would end up using it. She had only imagined saving some people on some boring mercy mission that would please the Doctor no end, then going back to the vault for tea and biscuits and probably a nice long sleep.

She didn’t imagine that she find herself alone in the woods, pulling apart the material of her corset to wrench the thing free again. With no other choice, she spent significant time pulling at the material and cursing as her fingers gripped the hardness of an object stitched into the flexible spiral boning of her corset. Eventually she felt the material give,and she gripped the tip of the object firmly in her fingers and tugged. In a few moments she felt victorious as it came free. Holding it in front of her she examined it and was relieved to see it was intact. Her ticket home was undamaged.

She allowed herself no time for regrets as she secured it around her wrist and activated it. She had appeared moments later on a space station which was vaguely familiar. Her bracelet somewhat limited in it’s navigational input facility, she had not been able to refine the destination too intricately. She decided not to risk it’s use again, unless she could work it with better precision.

She sat and had tea, realising that the space station was more of a holiday spot - a relaxed atmosphere which she was somewhat grateful for. Her mind was working hard to remember why she recognised the space station and then suddenly it came to her - she had been there before - she knew the spot, but not the exact date and time. So she sat and she waited.

Missy waited three months - she had relaxed by the pool, booked into a luxury suite, and rewarded herself. She had, after all, been trying. It wasn’t her fault that her past self had gone and complicated her life to such a huge degree. She tried to put it all out of her mind and focus on the schedule she had for the day; manicure, sunbathing on the simulated beach, and eating. 

Her nails were dry and looking fabulous when she finally heard the sound of the TARDIS and she headed straight to it. As soon as her past self walked out of the doors she had accosted him, telling him who she was, and how long she had waited there for him. He had listened, taking time to assess her before feeling intrigued enough to bring her into his TARDIS. In only a few minutes, it was quite clear to him who she was, and he had no objection to giving her a place to stay. 

_ Two weeks passed. _

The Master put down his book and looked across at Missy. He wasn’t accustomed to having guests, but he had made an exception this time, given that she was after all, him. It wasn’t the first time that he had accommodated another incarnation of himself - they did, in fact help each other out on occasion - with ensuring their continued survival, escape plans, and other such things which were highly ill advisable.

He looked across at her, her tea finished and her book discarded on the table next to her as she sat looking into the fire. 

“Missy, I have no objections to assisting you, but you have been here for two weeks now and you still haven’t explained how I can help you. If you need to hide out that’s of course, no problem, but would you mind explaining who or what you are hiding from?”

“She turned to face him, “I’m not hiding from anyone, I just had a very bad day and now I don’t know where to go,” she said.

“You are welcome of course to stay here, but is there anywhere I can take you? Do you have a TARDIS?”

“Yes, well I did - I’m guessing it’s still there. On the beach of a dreary planet with a rather dead population. They weren’t dead when I arrived of course,” she said.

The Master chuckled, “I’m sure they weren’t! So shall I take you there?”

“I suppose so,” she sighed.

“Missy, does this bad day you had, have anything to do with our dear Doctor?” he asked.

She turned to face him, “I fear i’ve lost him this time.”

He frowned and stood, moving to a closer chair as observed her cautiously. 

“In what way have you lost him Missy? If he’s dead, was it by your hand?”

“Does that concept excite you?” she said.

“Of course - and it also saddens me. Our feelings for him have always been quite contradictory have they not?” he said.

“Yes,” Missy said. “But I didn’t kill him or even try to - I was trying...to help him. To do the right thing - make a  stand with him in a hopeless situation.”

The Master’s eyes widened and he reached across placing a hand on her forehead, “my dear, are you unwell?”

“No, just tired and lost. I thought I was becoming surer in myself, and now I don’t know where to go  - what my path is anymore.”

“I think you just need to be reminded of who you are - all this moping about the Doctor isn’t doing you any good. Do you think he truly is dead?” he asked.

“I’m afraid to find out, because if he is - where does that leave us?” 

He frowned at the vulnerability in her voice.

“It would leave us with no option but to save him. We can’t allow him to die Missy. So this is what we shall do - find out the answer. If he has died, no doubt due to some seemingly noble cause that he felt were worth dying for, then we must fix that.”

“Thank you,” she said with a sad smile.

He took her hand and stood, and she mirrored him, getting to her feet and nodding. He turned and led her from the room, their hands still clasped together as they made their way to the console room. He squeezed her hand and turned his head to observe her and was stunned to see the tears she was shedding silently. 

She took a deep breath and tried to steady herself as she felt his eyes on her. She turned and closed her eyes, forcing her emotions back under control as she met his eyes.

“I don’t know what I would do without him,” she whispered.

He gave a sad smile and nodded, “He can’t leave us Missy, we will correct the problem if he does. Whatever it takes. I won't allow him to die if its not by our hand...and even then…”

Missy nodded, “Yes, I know….as much as the thought of killing him excites us...we would have to bring him back somehow wouldn't we?”

“Killing him and bringing him back would be an amusing game if we could do that a few times,” the Master chuckled. 

Missy smiled and reached up to wipe her tears away, “ok, lets do this. We were on that stupid colony ship - huge black hole complicating things, hoards of Cybermen….I didn't find him when I woke…”

“Let's start with the basics - refusing to use his chameleon circuit makes him easy to spot. Obvious place to start is earth...it’s just a matter of when.

* * *

_ They sat and they watched.  _

 

They both remained silent as they sipped their tea at the cafe opposite the second hand clothing shop that the Doctor had entered. Eventually Missy glanced at him.

“She found some new friends pretty quick.”

He cast her an admonishing glance, “Oh Missy, stop it! Feeling sorry for yourself and displaced, or whatever it is you are feeling, will not do you one shred of good. She’s the Doctor, she always has human friends, but they will never take our place.”

“I honestly thought this would end differently,” she said quietly, with tears in her eyes.

The Master sighed, “Missy. Please don’t do that again, seeing you crying is very unsettling! Do we not always save ourselves? Each one of us, past and future - we always lay the groundwork, prepare, ensure our ultimate survival. You don’t need me, or any of us this time - just go to her!”

“I just don’t know how...she’s surrounded herself with people so quickly.”

“And why do you think that is?” he asked.

“Don’t be smart about this, I feel like crap, past me.”

“Well, _ future  _ me, let’s fix that then. Distract the humans, get her alone and ensure she knows we are the not going anywhere. Something bold and theatrical that she can’t ignore.”

They watched she she left the shop, both smiling a little at her new look, each appreciating her new style in their own way. They followed, they waited, they watched. 

She wasn’t going to be alone for a moment, so they decided on an entirely different approach.

They approached the house and glanced at each other - both nodding as if they were looking into a mirror and seeing themselves reflected back despite the differences in their physical appearances.

Missy placed her hand in her pocket and pressed a button, and they instinctively slipped a hand into each others as they waited. 

Time froze around them - the sounds of nearby traffic stopped abruptly and a sudden and total silence fell. The Master pushed open the door after tampering with the lock for a mere three seconds, and they both stepped inside.

The humans were motionless, frozen momentarily in the time stop that they had wrapped the rest of the city in. They both stared at the Doctor, sleeping on the couch, in fascination, and approached her. Their hands remained joined, and neither really noticed. It was not a sensual act, merely recognising each others need for a moment of comfort, as extensions of themselves. Who could the Master ever rely on apart from the Doctor, if not themselves?

“You’ve really let the Doctor effect you Missy - I do dislike the intensity of this. It’s almost impossible to block our minds from each other, and you are making me feel quite flooded with all your.. _ feeling _ .”

The Master stood close to the Doctor, watching her and estimating how many bodies she had gone through since he had seen the Doctor last.

Missy let go of the Masters hand and crouched down beside her, her hand moving to her head as she affectionately and curiously stroked her hair. 

“She’s ok, I think she’ll wake soon,” Missy said, turning her head and glancing up at him. “Do you think she’ll be pleased to see us?”

He chuckled and shook his head, “two of us standing here, when she’s recovering from regeneration and likely feeling vulnerable? She may not be thrilled Missy.”

Missy turned back to the Doctor and watched her sadly, “I miss her - I just need her to know I was coming back to her. I wish i’d at least been able to stand with her - be there while she regenerated.  _ I _ should be taking care of her now. I really actually tried to change for her...for me too.”

The Master bent down and took Missy by her shoulders, standing her up and turning her to face him.

“Stop becoming emotional over all this Missy - you are practically hurling it all out of your head into mine and I don’t want it!”

“Oh yes you do, you love her and don’t deny it. You can hardly lie to me!”

The Master smiled very slightly and slid his hands from her shoulders to rub her upper arms briefly before stepping back. It was never odd to them, how immediately affectionate they were with each other - a form of self love, they had always assumed. 

“We will always love her - and of course we want to be the one to help her, but you know how she is with her entourages - and these are her favourite type - _humans_. She surrounded herself with more than she usually does, and quickly too. She feels your absence Missy and that’s why she’s filling it with them.”

“Well, she can _un_ fill it! I let her lock me up for almost a hundred years and would have stayed there for another nine hundred...I just wanted to have our friendship back.”

“You let her do  _ what _ ?” he asked, stunned. 

“Long story,” she sighed.

“Our friendship is always there Missy, but sometimes you have to remind her - with a grand gesture or a special surprise.”

“Yeah, I suppose we do,” she said.

“Well, you know that she’s survived and that she’s not in danger - are you going talk to her, or are we leaving - back to your TARDIS? Because as much as I do enjoy your company, I have never had one of us be my guest for this length of time, and I am beginning to think that it’s my duty to push you back onto whatever path you’ve decided to go on again.”

“Maybe you should - I don’t think I can face her right now - all I want to do is tell her I love her and that everything we worked at together wasn’t lost on me... and kiss her...kissing her would be nice.”

“Yes, it would, wouldn’t it?” he said.

“We should go,” she said sadly.

He held out his hand and she took it as they both turned and began to walk toward the door.

“Really?” the Doctor’s voice came from behind them.

They both froze and turned in unison, dropping hands and smiling as they turned to meet her eyes.

“You two were going to stand there, have a great big heart to heart and just leave? You are absolute idiots, get over here.”

Missy smiled and watched as the Master walked quickly over to her and helped her to her feet, a hand on her arm and another on her back as he kissed her softly. He stepped back again quickly but the touch of his lips against hers lingered and she hoped she would never forget the feeling.

Her eyes moved to Missy who stood watching her with a smile.

“And you’re just going to stand there after,” glancing around, “freezing everything and everyone so you could just stop by and see me? Get over here Missy.”

Missy walked over and had no time to even speak as the Doctor pulled her into a tight hug, wrapping her arms around her and closing her eyes. 

“I heard every word you said and _ never  _ was a single moment that we spent together wasted. I love you too, and i’m incredibly proud of you - I really am.”

Missy smiled in her arms as the Master meet the Doctor’s eyes. 

“Can I leave my future here with you Doctor?” he asked. “She needs a lift back to her TARDIS.”

The Doctor frowned and inched back, meeting Missy's eyes, “if that’s what you want, then of course, i’ll do that. You could...stay with me though. I have temporarily misplaced my TARDIS, but i’ll fix that soon -  want to come with me?”

“Well,” said Missy. “I’m not going to play house with all those humans you’ve picked up.”

“How about you just humor me when i’m off on adventures with them then - it’s a big TARDIS, you probably wouldn’t have to see them if you really didn’t want to...but maybe, once you felt ready you might actually want to meet them.”

“I like the lying low idea….lets do it,” Missy said with a laugh.

“Ok, unfreeze the city, because honestly, _why_ is it always such overkill with you? Stay close by, and I will come and get you...in fact i will stay right here in this room, because I will aim to pick you up once you step out of that door and I don;t want to bump into myself.”

Missy squeezed her hands and stepped back - “you better be a better driver than you used to be.”

“If she’s late Missy, we will hunt her down like prey - that would be quite fun,” the Master said with a  chuckle.

“See you in a minute then,” Missy said with a smile as she walked to the door, glancing back and blowing her a kiss. 

The Doctor laughed and laid back down, exhausted and happily falling back to sleep.

As they stepped outside the building, the sound of a TARDIS materialising filled the air and the Master nodded at Missy before stepping back.

“Hey,” she said. “Thanks, I owe you.”

“Don’t we always” he said with a laugh, as he turned and walked away.

Missy straightened her tie, smoothed down her skirt and walked swiftly to the the Doctor's TARDIS. 

She didn’t get as far as raising her hand to knock on the doors, when the Doctor pulled it open, a broad smile on her face and her arms thrust out, pulling Missy into her TARDIS as she gave her a huge hug.

Missy laughed as she tumbled inside, the doors closing behind them.


End file.
